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How to join the ArcheAge Chronicles demo & playtests

Last updated 2026-10-28 · We update this page when a new test or demo is announced

The October Steam demo ended on October 26 at 10 AM PT. It can no longer be downloaded, and the next chance to play is Steam early access, which opens November 3 at 3 PM PT ($29.99). The demo was open to any Steam user with no sign-up or region limits, and several outlets report that demo progress does not carry over to early access.

October Steam demo recap (Steam Next Fest, ended)

ItemDetails
WhenOctober 19, 10 AM PT to October 26, 10 AM PT (2 AM on October 20 to 2 AM on October 27 in Korea), matching Steam Next Fest. Ended
WhoAny Steam user, for free. No sign-up, no region limits
HowInstall it with the demo download button on the Steam store page during the event (no longer available)
Servers & languagesNorth America (East and West), Central Europe, and East and South Asia, plus a Brazil server added on October 23 (listed under NA for now). English, Korean, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese
ContentAbout two to three hours of quests in the early Diamond Shores region, all four classes, and PvP for the first time in a public build
New dungeonThrone of Hinnon, a high-level dungeon outside the demo's normal quest progression, so it may be extremely hard at demo levels. Its key is hidden somewhere hard to find
PvPYou can enter a PvP channel once you leave the first town and reach the Nui statue at your next destination. In the full game this opens after the early part of the game; the demo moves it up. Normal channels have no PvP (how PvP works)
Left outLife skills such as housing and trade; economic and social systems are planned for early access
Changed since the network testVoice-over and facial animation added, audio improved, party quest sharing and better channel joining, clearer path hints in points of interest and dungeons, and fixes for ladder collision, hit detection, and missing translations. More gender options are in development but not in the demo
ProgressSeveral outlets report that demo progress will not carry over to early access (we could not check the original announcement text)
StreamingAllowed if you make clear it is the demo (per press reports)
Known issueA black screen at launch. Loading can take 5 to 10 minutes, so wait up to 10 minutes and contact support if it persists (October 21 notice)
ResultFifth on Steam's most played demos list when Next Fest closed (Gematsu). The team says feedback will go into combat controls, balance, convenience, and optimization

As of October 28, the early access minimum spec dropped to an RTX 2060 SUPER (AMD RX 6600), and an SSD is required. See System requirements, and Weapons & classes for each class's weapons.

If you played the demo

September 2026 network test at a glance (ended)

ItemDetails
WhenSeptember 12, 7 PM to September 13, 1 AM Eastern Time (8 AM to 2 PM on September 13 in Korea)
WhoSteam users in the US and Canada (Korea excluded)
Sign-upsPlayers clicked "Request Access" on the Steam store page and were picked at random. Selected players pre-downloaded the test client from their Steam library and logged in during the test window
PurposeCheck server performance and network stability with many players online at once
ContentAn early development build with only the early areas
StreamingNot banned but discouraged; streamers were asked to say it was a network test
ResultsMore players joined than planned but the servers stayed stable; average play time was about 1.5 hours. Fixes are planned for black screens, the party UI, and griefing

Based on the streaming guidance, MMORPG.com said there did not appear to be an NDA for this test. Before it, a focus group test in June had 165 participants.

What comes next

In his September letter, the executive producer confirmed early access for this year and said the game would soon be playable without an invite; the October demo was the first such chance. Next up is Steam early access on November 3 at 3 PM PT. We keep Release date & early access up to date.

Is there a beta? No open beta or beta sign-up has been announced. This year's closed tests included the June focus group test and the September network test for selected applicants in the US and Canada, and the October demo needed no sign-up. We will add any new test here when it is announced.

Sources